Textile machines

ABSTRACT

A doffing mechanism of a textile machine in which prior to severing the yarn a full spool is released from the yarn-winding position to fall on to auxiliary drive rolls and is then supported and rotated by auxiliary drive rolls so that the full spool continues to take up yarn until an empty spool is delivered to the winding position and is ready to take up yarn, whereafter the yarn is severed to commence winding on of yarn on the empty spool and the auxiliary drive rolls are moved to lower the full spool on to a delivery conveyor arranged below these rolls.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Walter Parker Wilmslow; HaroldWilliam Lee, Poynton; Alan Herbert Evans, Bramhall, England [2]] Appl.No. 762,419 [22] Filed Sept. 25, 1968 [45] Patented Mar. 30, 1971 [73]Assignee Ernest Scragg 8: Sons Limited Macclesiield, Cheshire, England[54] TEXTILE MACHINES 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 242/18, 242/l9,242/35.5 [51 Int. Cl B65h 54/06 [50] Field ofSearch 242/18, 18 (A), 18 (DD), 19, 27, 35.5, 35.6, 36, 4], 45,157, 66

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,306,871 12/1942 Esser etal 242/35.6

Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner-Werner H.Schroeder Attorney-Larson, Taylor & Hinds ABSTRACT: A doffing mechanismof a textile machine in which prior to severing the yarn a full spool isreleased from the yam-winding position to fall on to auxiliary driverolls and is then supported and rotated by auxiliary drive rolls so thatthe full spool continues to take up yarn until an empty spool isdelivered to the winding position and is ready to take up yam,whereafter the yarn is severed to commence winding on of yarn on theempty spool and the auxiliary drive rolls are moved to lower the fullspool on to a delivery conveyor arranged below these rolls.

Pfitentd March 30, 1 971 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l htented Mm so, 1971 5Sheets-Sheet 5 QT v Q2 8 A2 29 m2 Patented March 30, 1971 1 3,572,597

5 Shets-Shet 4 FIGS Patented March 30, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet S TEXTILEMACHINES DESCRIPTION In patent application Ser. No. 680,105 filed Nov.2, 1967 by Frederick Scragg, Walter Parker, Alan Herbert Evans andWalter Edouard Ernst, assignors to Ernest Scragg & Sons Limited, nowU.S. Pat. No. 3,507,453, issued Apr. 21, 1970, there are describedimprovements in and relating to textile machines which facilitateautomatic doffrng, that is the replacement at a winding position of afull" spool, or like former, carrying yarn by an empty spool.

This invention provides modifications of, or alternatives to, suchimprovements.

One important improvement described in application Ser. No. 680,105, nowU.S. Pat. No. 3,507,453, issued Apr. 21, 1970 comprises the provision ofan auxiliary roll drive to engage a full spool when it is released fromcontact with the normal drive roll and to drive the full spool, ifdesired at increased peripheral speed, until the yarn is severed duringdoff'mg. The auxiliary drive in one form comprises a pair of rollersfrom which after yarn severing the spool is deposited on to a conveyordisposed below these rollers by separating the rollers to allow thespool to fall between them.

According to this invention, the rollers of the auxiliary drive areoperable to lower the full spool toward the conveyor, for instance bythe auxiliary rollers being carried by arms which swing downwardlytowards the conveyor prior to their releasing the spool. Thisarrangement has the advantage that bouncing of the full spool onreaching the conveyor can be reduced or eliminated. Also if a number ofspools are being doffed at the same time and they have differingdiameters, they may be deposited on the conveyor at substantially thesame instant, whereas if the rollers are separated the smaller diameterspools will fall first and the larger diameter spools thereafter.

Another improvement described in application Ser. No. 680,105, now U.S.Pat. No. 3,507,453, issued Apr. 21, 1970 comprises the provision of anempty spool magazine having a delivery mouth in which an empty spool isheld in a position to be picked up preparatory to transfer to thewinding position.

According to the present invention, such a magazine may have catch meanspermitting the spools to be fed one at a time from the magazine to thepickup position in the mouth, which catch means are operated whentransfer means for picking up the spool reach the pickup position. Inthis way the position of the spool in the mouth is unaffected by theweight of any other spool in the magazine, as may not always be the caseif the spools travel in contact down a chute magazine to a mouth havingspring retaining lips, and further the transfer means may be arranged toassist to guide the spool correctly into the pickup position.

in application Ser. No. 680,105, new U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,453, issuedApr. 21, 1970 there is also described means to ensure that a travellingyarn which is being reciprocated laterally of its direction of travel,as by a traversing guide of a winding mechanism, may be picked up andguided into a desired path, for example in the path of a cutter or othersevering device, the means comprising an angle-section plate with a slotin it which the yarn enters as it is traversed across the plate, theslot constituting a guide determining the desired yarn path.

This invention may replace such means bya plate with a transverselydisposed arcuate slot in it and above the slot a correspondingly arcuateresilient guide wire having a midlength notch, the arrangement beingthat as the yarn is reciprocated it moves over the wire until it entersthe notch which acts to lead the yarn into the desired path.

Other inventive features will appear from the following demription of atextile processing machine. The description refers to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the upper part of a textileprocessing machine;

F116. 2 shows details of a yam-guiding arrangement which is associatedwith the severing mechanism;

P16. 3 is an elevation of a severing device;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views in the directions of arrows 4 and 5 on H0. 3;

F IG. 6 shows a front elevation of a deflector panel; and

FIG. 7 shows an alternative spool magazine to that shown in FIG. 1.

The machine illustrated is double-sided and basically has a layoutsimilar to that shown in the drawings accompanying application Ser. No.680,105, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,453, issued Apr. 21, 1970. Accordinglythe winding positions and the associated doffmg mechanisms only areshown.

The yarn after processing, as by false-twisting, heating, cooling andthe like, travels upwardly from feed rolls 113 to the winding positions,of which two are shown, one at each side of the machine, where the yarnis wound on a spool driven by peripheral contact with a main drive roll114, commonly referred to as a "bowl roll. When a spool is full," it isdelivered to auxiliary rolls 118 which give the spool an increasedperipheral speed to tension the yarn until it is severed. Aftersevering, the full spool is delivered to a central conveyor 119 servingthe winding positions at each side of the machine.

Dofi'mg may be initiated in various ways, eg by sensing a spooldimension, by a timing mechanism, or by a revolution counter whichsenses when a batch of spools have been at their winding positions for aspecified number of revolutions of, for instance, the main drive roll1M. Conveniently in machines having a large number of winding positions,a batchdoffing arrangement isemployed in which the spools are not alldoffed together but in groups. Also as in the illustrated form ofmachine, the spools along one side of a double-sided machine arepreferably doffed at a different time from those along the other side soas to give the advantage that the clotting mechanism can be placedcentrally of the machine and parts used when dofiing spools on eitherside of the machine.

The spool during winding on of yarn is held in a spool support whichalso serves to transfer an empty spool from a magazine 145 to thewinding position. This transfer occurs after release of the full spooland before severing of the yarn.

In one novel feature of the illustrated machine, the auxiliary rolls118, which may be individual to a pair of winding positions as shown ormay extend along the length of the machine so serving a large number ofwinding positions, are rotatively mounted on shafts 120 which extend thelength of the machine and which are carried by anns 121 rockablysupported on shafts 122. The anns 121 have toothed sectors 123 whichmesh with sectors 124 mounted on rocking shafts 125. The shafts 122 arerotatively driven through magnetic clutches which are alternatelyengaged, and the shafts carry pulleys 126 driving pulley belts 127 fordriving the rolls 118. As in the machine described in application Ser.No. 680,105, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,453, issued Apr. 21, 1970 thedirection of rotation of the rolls 118 depends on the side of themachine from which the spools are delivered and the reversal of thedirection of rotation of the rolls 118 is achieved in a mannersimilar tothat described in our prior application.

After severing of the yarn in doffmg the arms 121 are swung downwardlyas indicated by arrows 118a towards the conveyor 119 so that any spoolon the rolls 118 even if carrying little or no yarn (as could happenwhen the yarn has broken before the spool is full), is lowered on to theconveyor. The spools thus have less tendency to bounce on the conveyorand the instant of deposition of spools on the conveyor can besubstantially the same for a range of sizes of full spool."

The swinging of the arms 121 through rocking of the shafts may beeffected in any convenient way for example by hydraulic actuators whichare situated at one end of the machine and are connected to rocker armscarried by the shafts 125.

Another novel feature of the illustrated machine occurs in associationwith the severing mechanism. There is provided a plain downwardlyinclined guide plate 131) (FIGS. 1 and 2) which has in it an arcuateslot 131, and, above the slot in the plate, a similarly curved resilientwire guide 132, the height of the ide 132 above the plate increasingfrom stud eyes at its ends towards its center where the guide is formed'with a yarn trapping notch 133. As the yarn travels over the plane 130from the traversing yarn guide 116 at the winding position to a spool onthe auxiliary rolls 118, it is also reeiprocated laterally with respectto its direction of travel by the traversing guide 116. During doffing,on release of the package, it rolls down the plate 130 depressing thewire guide 132 into the slot 131 as it passes and the package then isreceived on the auxiliary rolls 118 to be driven until the yarn issevered. As soon as the spool on the rolls 118 is driven at theincreased peripheral speed so that an increased tension is maintained inthe yarn, it travels along the resilient wire guide 132 from one enduntil the yarn enters and is caught in the notch 133. The yarn isthereafter retained in the notch.

The severing device is located at each winding position below the plate130 and comprises (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and a fixed blade 134 upstanding from arail 135, and a pivoted blade 136 urged by a spring 137 against a stop138. The blades 136 are opened each by an actuator 139 pivoted on asliding bar 140. When the bar 140 moves to the left as viewed in FIG. 3,the actuator 139 engages a lug 141 on the blade 136 moving the bladeclockwise until the actuator moves clear of the lug when the blade 136under its spring load closes to the fixed blade 134 with a snap scissorsaction. In reverse movement of the bar 140, the actuator 139 engages thelug 141 to be rotated clear of the lug and, after passing the lug, thelower end of the actuator strikes a stop 142 on the rail 135 to returnthe actuator to its initial position.

It is arranged that the tips of the blades 134, 136 project through acutaway 131a in the slot 131 in the guide plate 130 (see FIG. 2) in linewith and close to the notch 133 thus ensuring that the yarn as ittravels from the notch 133 will enter between the blades 134, 136 whenthey open. The tip of the blade 136 has a claw 143 to ensure that theyarn is retained between the blades as the blade 136 moves to and fromthe closed position.

The severing motion is preferably performed a number of times at eachdoffing to ensure the yarn is severed. The bars 140 are convenientlyactuated by hydraulic linear actuators mounted at one end of themachine.

In order to assist correct fall of the full spools onto the auxiliaryrolls 118, hanging deflector panels 150 (FIGS. 1 and 6) are providedcentrally of the machine. Each panel is swingably suspended by hooks 151from a rail 152 of the machine frame and the hooks also carry weightingbars 153 adjustable in position along the hooks, the weight of whichbars determines the guiding effect of the panel. Each panel serves thetwo winding positions between which it is situated.

Another novel feature of the illustrated machine is provided in orderthat the empty spool will be properly positioned in the mouth of themagazine 145 relatively to the spool support pads 163 at the ends of theswinging arms 161, and also so that the spool position is unaffected byother spools in the magazine, the magazine is fitted at its mouth with apivoted, counterbalanced, curved locating lip 157 and a catch mechanism.The catch mechanism (FIG. 1) comprises a first detent 158 which, whenwinding is proceeding, holds the empty spools in the magazine back clearof the lip 157 and a second detent 159 which, as the detent 158 is swunganticlockwise to allow the first spool S1 in the magazine to move up tothe lip 157, itself moves into the path of the next spool S2 preventingthis spool from following the spool S1. The detents are shown as beingoperated on arrival of the spool transfer means to pick up a spool. Thedetents are directly actuated by a striker 160 on the swinging arms 161of the spool support and transfer means coming into engagement with alever 162 movable with the detents 158, 159 as the arms 161 reach thepickup position. Thus the pads 163 rotatively mounted on the arms toengage the spool also assist to locate the spool S1 as it travels intothe pickup position. After pickup of the spool, downward swinging of thearms 161 causes the striker 160 to engage the detent 158 and return theparts to their initial position and transfers the picked-up spool to thewinding position.

Since the lip 157 is counterbalanced the effort required to deflect thelip 157 is small.

Instead of moving the detents in the mannerjust described they may bepositively and simultaneously moved at an appropriate time in abatch-doffing cycle. For instance as shown in FIG. 7, the detents 158,159 are formed as arms ofa threearmed lever, the third arm 165 beingforked to be engaged by one of a series of operating fingers carried ona rocker shaft extending the length of the machine.

In such case, the swinging arms 161 of the batch of winding positionsbeing doffed may be actuated by a common mechanism at an appropriatetime in the doffing cycle, there being a lost motion between themechanism and each pair of swinging arms to allow for growth of thepackage on the spool during winding and to ensure that after packagerelease all the arms reach the spool pickup positions together.

We claim:

1. In a textile machine, a yarn package winding mechanism comprising arotatable main drive roll, support means for supporting a spool tocontact said main drive roll and thus to be rotated by said main driveroll, means for guiding yarn onto the spool during said rotation of thelatter to form a yarn package, said support means being operable torelease the package from contact with the main drive roll, an auxiliaryroll drive positioned to receive a wound package upon release of thelatter from said supporting means while yarn is still being guided ontosaid spool by said means for guiding, said auxiliary roll drive drivingthe said released wound package, and means for severing the yarn betweensaid main drive roll and said auxiliary roll drive as the yarn is beingrotated by contact with said auxiliary roll drive; the improvement whichcomprises a conveyor below said auxiliary roll drive and a constructionof said auxiliary roll drive comprising a pair of rotating rollsarranged side-by-side for cradling the released package, and supportingmeans for supporting said pair of rolls, said supporting means includingmeans for simultaneously lowering said pair of rolls towards saidconveyor to lower the released package cradled on said rolls onto theconveyor.

2. In a textile machine, a yarn package winding mechanism as claimed inclaim 1, said means supporting said pair of rolls of the auxiliary rolldrive comprising two sets of arms respectively having the rollsrotatively mounted at their ends, means mounting said sets of anns forswinging movement from an upper package-cradling position downwardly toa position in which said released yarn package is lowered onto theconveyor.

3. In a textile machine, a yarn package winding mechanism according toclaim 2, comprising a driven shaft, and belt and pulley drives drivinglyinterconnecting said shaft and said rolls of the auxiliary roll drive,said shaft having said arms swingably mounted thereon.

4. In a textile machine, a yarn package winding mechanism according toclaim 3, comprising rockable shafts positioned adjacent said drivenshafts and meshing toothed sections on said arms and on respective onesof the rockable shafts, whereby rocking of the rockable shafts effectsswinging of the arms.

5. A textile machine having a yarn package winding mechanism as setforth in claim 1 and a magazine for storage of empty spools, themagazine having means defining a delivery mouth in which a spool is heldin a pickup position, catch means obstructing the path of the spoolsfrom the magazine to the pickup position in the mouth, said supportmeans for the spool being movable between a winding position in whichthe spool contacts the main drive roll and a spool pickup position atthe magazine mouth, said support means in the spool pickup positionengaging the catch means for withdrawing it from said path.

6. A textile machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the mouth of themagazine has a counterbalanced spool-locating lip and the catch meanscomprise first and second pivoted detents, the first detent, whenwinding is proceeding, projecting into said path and holding the emptyspools in the magazine back clear of the lip and being engaged by thesaid support means in said pickup position to be pivoted from said path,and said second detent being simultaneously pivoted into the path of thenext spool to prevent it from being delivered to the lip.

7. A textile machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising means to guideyarn which is travelling from said main drive roll towards a full spoolbeing driven by the auxiliary roll drive, which guide means comprises aplate with a transversely disposed arcuate slot in it and above the slota correspondingly arcuate resilient guide wire having a midlength notch,the arrangement being that the yarn moves over the wire until it entersthe notch which acts to guide the yarn into a desired path.

8. A textile machine as claimed in claim 7, the height of the guide wireabove the plate increasing from the ends of thc wirc towards themidlength notch.

9. A textile machine as claimed in claim 1. comprising deflector panelsswingable suspended adjacent the main drive roll and above the auxiliaryroll drive to assist delivery of thc released full spool to theauxiliary roll drive, the panels having associated with them weightingbars adjustable to vary the guiding effect of the panels.

10. A textile machine as claimed in claim 1, having winding positionsalong each side of the machine, the auxiliary roll drive and theconveyor being disposed centrally of the machine to serve the windingpositions on both sides of the machine.

1. In a textile machine, a yarn package winding mechanism comprising arotatable main drive roll, support means for supporting a spool tocontact said main drive roll and thus to be rotated by said main driveroll, means for guiding yarn onto the spool during said rotation of thelatter to form a yarn package, said support means being operable torelease the package from contact with the main drive roll, an auxiliaryroll drive positioned to receive a wound package upon release of thelatter from said supporting means while yarn is still being guided ontosaid spool by said means for guiding, said auxiliary roll drive drivingthe said released wound package, and means for severing the yarn betweensaid main drive roll and said auxiliary roll drive as the yarn is beingrotated by contact with said auxiliary roll drive; the iMprovement whichcomprises a conveyor below said auxiliary roll drive and a constructionof said auxiliary roll drive comprising a pair of rotating rollsarranged side-by-side for cradling the released package, and supportingmeans for supporting said pair of rolls, said supporting means includingmeans for simultaneously lowering said pair of rolls towards saidconveyor to lower the released package cradled on said rolls onto theconveyor.
 2. In a textile machine, a yarn package winding mechanism asclaimed in claim 1, said means supporting said pair of rolls of theauxiliary roll drive comprising two sets of arms respectively having therolls rotatively mounted at their ends, means mounting said sets of armsfor swinging movement from an upper package-cradling position downwardlyto a position in which said released yarn package is lowered onto theconveyor.
 3. In a textile machine, a yarn package winding mechanismaccording to claim 2, comprising a driven shaft, and belt and pulleydrives drivingly interconnecting said shaft and said rolls of theauxiliary roll drive, said shaft having said arms swingably mountedthereon.
 4. In a textile machine, a yarn package winding mechanismaccording to claim 3, comprising rockable shafts positioned adjacentsaid driven shafts and meshing toothed sections on said arms and onrespective ones of the rockable shafts, whereby rocking of the rockableshafts effects swinging of the arms.
 5. A textile machine having a yarnpackage winding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 and a magazine forstorage of empty spools, the magazine having means defining a deliverymouth in which a spool is held in a pickup position, catch meansobstructing the path of the spools from the magazine to the pickupposition in the mouth, said support means for the spool being movablebetween a winding position in which the spool contacts the main driveroll and a spool pickup position at the magazine mouth, said supportmeans in the spool pickup position engaging the catch means forwithdrawing it from said path.
 6. A textile machine as claimed in claim5, wherein the mouth of the magazine has a counterbalancedspool-locating lip and the catch means comprise first and second pivoteddetents, the first detent, when winding is proceeding, projecting intosaid path and holding the empty spools in the magazine back clear of thelip and being engaged by the said support means in said pickup positionto be pivoted from said path, and said second detent beingsimultaneously pivoted into the path of the next spool to prevent itfrom being delivered to the lip.
 7. A textile machine as claimed inclaim 1, comprising means to guide yarn which is travelling from saidmain drive roll towards a full spool being driven by the auxiliary rolldrive, which guide means comprises a plate with a transversely disposedarcuate slot in it and above the slot a correspondingly arcuateresilient guide wire having a midlength notch, the arrangement beingthat the yarn moves over the wire until it enters the notch which actsto guide the yarn into a desired path.
 8. A textile machine as claimedin claim 7, the height of the guide wire above the plate increasing fromthe ends of the wire towards the midlength notch.
 9. A textile machineas claimed in claim 1, comprising deflector panels swingable suspendedadjacent the main drive roll and above the auxiliary roll drive toassist delivery of the released full spool to the auxiliary roll drive,the panels having associated with them weighting bars adjustable to varythe guiding effect of the panels.
 10. A textile machine as claimed inclaim 1, having winding positions along each side of the machine, theauxiliary roll drive and the conveyor being disposed centrally of themachine to serve the winding positions on both sides of the machine.